


KinkyMeetups

by Shido_Burrito



Series: Nightbreeds and Travelers [1]
Category: Nightwalker Mayonaka no Tantei | Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective, Pendragon - D. J. MacHale
Genre: Blood Drinking, Bloodplay, Crossover Pairings, He seriously sucks at technology, Light BDSM, Love Hotels, M/M, Out of Character, Power Bottom Shido, Scratching, Shido is such an old man, Vampires, Very OOC, fetish app, manipulative sub Saint Dane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-05 15:29:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11016270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shido_Burrito/pseuds/Shido_Burrito
Summary: It's been 20 years since the last episode of Nightwalker and Yayoi isn't quite the young, fresh, blood donor she used to be. Guni finds a sneaky way to try and make Shido find a new donor and maybe get laid in the process.





	1. A meetup

**Author's Note:**

> So I needed to create a story that went with my artwork [A Vampire is a Masochist's Best Friend](http://shido-burrito.deviantart.com/art/A-vampire-is-a-masochist-s-best-friend-679937419). I don't know which fandom you're reading this for, but I apologize for mashing two COMPLETELY unrelated characters together. 
> 
> No, I'm not really sorry. It's a headcanon I've had for many many years and I was just like, "Fuck it, they need a story explaining how this would even happen."
> 
> So, enjoy a vampire and a time-traveling demon?

“Guni, what’s this on my phone?” Yelled a voice through the darkened, detective office.

A shrill voice yelled back into the next room just as loud, “What?”

“This icon at the top of my phone? What does it mean?”

Guni rolled her eyes from the coffee table she sat upon but continued to scroll through the story she was reading on her tablet. “Bring it in here!”

“What?”

“Bring it in here!!” She shouted louder and then daintily took a sip of her coffee. She was at a steamy part in her book and wasn’t going to be torn away so easily from the illicit sex about to unfold between Yaya and Leah.

Shido shuffled into the room grumbling, turned on a light, and shoved the screen of his phone in front of Guni’s tiny face.  

“Hey!” she cried and tried to push the cell phone away, but the icon caught her eye. At the top of the screen was a little symbol of chain links and she chuckled. “Oh, I thought you had found that app and deleted it by now!”

Shido turned the screen back to him and looked at it, “I’ve never seen it before, hence why I’m asking you what it is. You’re the one who downloads apps on here for me.”

Guni smirked, “You’re such an old man, Shido. You should take the time to learn how to use the app store and do that shit yourself. Since you stupidly placed your trust in me with your phone, I downloaded an extra app last time you made me install Puzzle & Dragons.”

“Guni! Don’t go installing extra stuff on my phone! It might be a virus or something!”

“God, stop being an old fart and get with the times! You can’t get viruses on phones! You _can_ get malware, and that’s not _me_ who’s going to certain sites and making your phone freeze up on… explicit content.”

Shido’s eyes widened for just a second before settling on a frown, “Yeah well, don’t go adding stuff to my phone without my permission.” He looked back down to the phone in his hands. “So, what is this?”

Guni raised an eyebrow, “Bring down the top menu and click on it. It’s a notification.” She was smiling and a conspiratorial gleam glinted in her red eyes. The gleam dimmed for a moment as she had to re-instruct Shido on how to bring down the top menu, yes you could always do that, click on that notification there…

The cell phone screen blinked and the chain link logo became a larger icon surrounding the title “Kinky Meetups”. Shido immediately let out a groan. “Guni! What the hell?!”

Guni burst into peals of laughter, “Oh god, your face Shido! This is priceless!” She wiped a tear from her eye and sat back up on the coffee table.  “I forgot about that app, I had installed it months ago and thought you’d found it and deleted it.”  Her cheerful, impish face suddenly became serious, “I installed that as more than a prank though, Shido. Sit down.”

She gestured at the stiff couch, which Shido sat gently upon, wondering at the abrupt change in Guni’s voice. She could be serious when the occasion called for it, but usually she was smirking, sarcastic, and gleeful. What occasion would call for this sudden change in mood, mid-prank even?

Guni turned off her tablet and sat with her legs crossed, facing Shido on the couch. “Seriously Shido, we have to talk about finding you a new donor.”

Shido guiltily slid his gaze down to the carpet. He had been expecting this conversation for the past few years but honestly didn’t want to face the facts. Yayoi was getting old, and having her blood drained every week or so was tiring her out more and more.  Everyone was noticing how much longer it took Yayoi to recover from a feeding session.

Riho had quit feeding from Yayoi a few years ago and had found another perfectly willing, and friendly, donor; a young man she had met in night classes. Shido was seeing less and less of Riho as the young vampire began to strike out further away from her coffin with Shido and was seeing more of the world than this little Tokyo prefecture. Shido was happy for Riho and proud that she had chosen the more “vegan” route of vampirism, but knew heartbreak was in her future.  It may be because of the death of a loved one, or perhaps the boy would leave her for someone more mortal, warmer, more… human. No, another reminder of her immortality was imminent but it was best she went through it without Shido hovering around her. Instead, Shido had wished Riho well, given her his new cell phone number, and promised her that he would always be here for her.

So the past few years had been just Yayoi, Shido and Guni, continuing their usual exploits of hunting down Nightbreeds, relieving the NOS of their more supernatural cases, and general detective work to pay the bills. Yayoi was coming up on her 50th year now, and Shido could almost see her skin loosening, wrinkles carving their way into the sides of her mouth and eyes, and her stamina drain before his very eyes. The sensuality of his feeding sessions had faded long ago, and now they left him feeling guilty as he waited for Yayoi to catch her breath from exhaustion rather than passion.

Shido blinked back into the present and lifted his eyes to look back at Guni who waited patiently with his phone. He nodded his head and ran a hand through his hair, “Yeah, Guni, I know, I know.” His eyes blurred a bit as he admitted aloud that the time had come to move on in his unlife and try to find someone else. He’d done it before, he could do it again--but this was Yayoi, and their strange little group had been together for over 20 years now. Sure, that was like a moment for Shido, but it was a dream-time moment, a few minutes in real life that felt like its own eternity within the world of a good dream.

Guni fluttered up to sit on his shoulder and patted the side of Shido’s face comfortingly. “It’s okay Shido, you’re doing Yayoi a big favor by finding someone else. She’ll live a lot longer without you latched to her a like a leech, and we can continue to play house for many more years to come.”

Shido snorted and glanced at Guni, “Play house?”

Guni grinned, “Yeah! You’re totally the dad, Yayoi’s mom, Riho’s the daughter that makes you both proud, and I’m the child that you two have given up on and I just laze about and mooch without paying rent.” She tugged on a strand of his hair, “Now about that cell phone app…”

Shido brought the screen back up, “So your solution to finding me a new donor is installing a BDSM meetup app on my phone?”

“Yeah, and it was quite a genius idea on my part,” Guni preened.

“I’m not seeing it.”

Guni huffed, grabbed the phone from Shido’s hand, and landed again on the coffee table. She opened up the app and clicked on a menu, “Okay, so I made a profile for you on this website that notifies when anyone in the area is interested in meeting up with you.”

“Guni, I had my fill of whips and chains with Cain. I am not interested in bondage.”

“No, of course you’re not, _but_ what if we find someone who doesn’t mind a little pain? A little blood?” Guni’s grin turned devilish, “What if we find you a blood donor that would be into being bitten?”

Shido’s face was unable to become any paler with shock, and was unable to blush with embarrassment, “You want me to find a-a, a _fangbanger?!”_

“There’s a word for that?”

Had Shido been healthier and well fed, his blush would have deepened, “I may be borrowing it from a book series, but yes, essentially that is what you are looking for.”

“Well, whatever you want to call ‘em it would be the perfect solution for finding a new donor! You don’t want to hurt or kill anyone, they don’t mind if it gets a little rough, you’ll both be having a good time and everyone wins!” Guni crossed her arms and nodded, congratulating herself on her own brilliance.

Shido sat quietly, sifting through all that he was currently feeling. Most of it was anger at Guni for brashly putting Shido’s information on a website like that. What if Cain had seen? Sure, Cain knew where Shido was, but his sire had been uncharacteristically and pleasantly absent. For all Guni knew, that notification might be Cain himself in the area, finding Shido on a kinky dating site, and seeing it as an invitation back into his life. Shido did have to admit, it would be amusing to see Cain’s face the moment he saw Shido’s profile on a BDSM site.

Residual sadness and guilt about Yayoi also floated around his head and in his heart, but there was also a small twinge, if Shido was to be honest, of curiosity. What if Guni was on to something here? _Ugh, Shido, listen to yourself. This is a terrible idea and you know it. You’re just desperate for… any physical contact, really._ He frowned at the turn his thoughts had taken. Things had never gotten very intimate between him and Riho, the Japanese taboo against sex and closeness flowed too strongly in her veins. Guni had struck a little too close when she mentioned how Riho was the daughter in their little game of house. His time with Cain, which were his earliest memories, was not a part of his life he ever wanted to revisit. Yayoi and he were close and feeding had gotten them both riled up sometimes, but it never lead to sex. Yayoi would never give it up that easily and Shido respected her for that. Maybe he visited a website now and then to relieve himself of...urges and frustrations, but Shido was unable to think of the last time he had been with anyone physically.

“Earth to Shido!” Guni was saying and put down her hand she had been waving when Shido’s eyes finally focused back on her. “Where’d you go there buddy?”

Shido blinked, “Nothing, just thinking about how stupid your plan was.”

Guni put her hands on her hips and frowned, “Uh huh, sure. If I was you, I’d instead be calculating in my head the last time I got laid. Were cars invented yet, Shido? Or did you maybe bang in the back of a horse-drawn carriage?”

“I’m done listening to this Guni. It’s a terrible idea, and I’d rather go about finding a donor my own way,” he said angrily and swiftly stood up from the couch.

A ding came from the phone still in Guni’s hands and she looked up innocently, “Oh darn, but I just set up a meeting with Mr. Ravinia here.” She batted her eyes cutely as Shido swiped the phone from her and read the messages she had sent:

 

Ravinia: Are you still looking for someone to hookup with? I’m in the area until Monday.

Purplevamp: Yeah! Can we meet at the East Major Exit in Shinjuku station? We can walk

to Kabukicho together and grab a drink first.

Ravinia: Great. See you there at 8?

Purplevamp: Make it 10, I don’t get off work until 9.

Ravinia: 10 it is, Major East Exit, Shinjuku. See you!

Shido nearly crushed the phone in his hand as he growled at Guni, “Mr. Ravinia is just going to have to go to bed with blue balls tonight because I am NOT going!”

“Oh come on! What are you afraid of? You need to find a donor, you need to get laid,” she said this out of the side of her mouth, “and you’re a friggin vampire! You can protect yourself! If things go wrong just, I dunno, slap him with a blood sword or choke him out with your hair, wait, he might like that…”

“I am not going to hurt anyone because I’m not _going!”_

Guni flew over and hovered in front of Shido’s fuming face, and she squished it between her hands. “Listen, try it my way, just this once. Meet the guy, take him out for a drink, get to know him, and then come back here and rub it in my face if it ends up being a waste of your time.”

They stood like that for many moments, until Shido let out a defeated sigh from between squished cheeks. “Fine,” he mumbled, “I need to get out of this office anyway.”

She beamed, “Yes! That’s the spirit!”  She fluttered away from his face and gave him a judging lookover. “Do me a favor though? Please stop at a clothing store and buy a new outfit? That suit is…”

“Old?”

“Ugly.”

 

Shido shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited at their planned meeting spot, unused to being out of his usual suit and in a more laid-back outfit he just bought from UNIQLO. He had gone up to a store mannequin, copied it’s outfit, and then changed in the station bathroom, stashing his old suit in a locker. Now he stood here in a green, checkered, collared shirt that felt way too thin but was luckily covered in a dark, v-neck sweater, and jeans. He never thought he’d live to see the day he wore the pants miners wore, but here we has, wearing pants made for crawling across rock tunnels but in the confines of a maze-like subway station.

He knew Mr. Ravinia the moment he saw him. The guy was a freaking _tower_ of a man, obviously not Japanese ( _Scandinavian?_ thought Shido), possibly almost 7 feet tall, sticking out comically in the crowd of short Japanese businessmen that ambled past. With long hair so platinum it was white, Mr. Ravinia wasn’t old, and his body was so fit it was almost bursting from the dress shirt he wore under a suit jacket that refused to be buttoned across that barrel of a chest. The poor man had no chance in hell ever finding clothes that would fit him here in Japan. Their eyes met over the dark heads of the departing passengers and Shido audibly gasped. The eyes that met his were so intensely blue they seemed to freeze the very subject that gazed into them, and a shiver tingled its way down his spine.

The wall of a human approached confidently, but greeted Shido with a small, traditional bow. “I thought I would have a hard time finding you, but now I see why your screen name is ‘Purplevamp’,” he chuckled in greeting with a low voice that was hypnotically smooth. He was also speaking English. Shido cringed a little, and bowed back, “I’m sorry Mr. Ravinia, are you able to speak Japanese? My English is… not so great.”

Mr. Ravinia smiled and fluidly switched to impeccable Japanese, “Of course, I’m sorry. Your profile was in English on the meetup site so I just assumed you spoke it. Pardon my rudeness but, are you Japanese?”

Those blue eyes studied him, taking in the unusual hair color, the emerald eyes that studied him back, and the lack of epicanthic fold. Shido’s knees were feeling awfully weak under those scratchy new jeans, but he forced himself to look up into Ravinia’s eyes. “No, I was actually born in Transylvania,” and then it suddenly struck him how horribly cliche that sounded from an online hookup promising vampiric, sexual pleasures. “Oh god, that makes me sound like a vampire from a bad Bela Lugosi movie, but seriously, that’s where I was born.” He switched languages for a moment, “Any chance you speak Romanian?”

Just as easily, and again flawlessly, Mr. Ravinia answered, “You’ll find I know a great many languages, Mr. Purplevamp.” He smirked, “But please, pick a language you're comfortable with and give me something to call you other than Purplevamp.”

Shido lead him out of the exit and they navigated their way towards the garish electrical lights of the Golden Gai district. “Please, call me Shido,” he said, sticking with Romanian. The chance of anyone overhearing and understanding their conversation was very unlikely this way, and if they were going to talk about sexual topics… “I’ve been here for about 30 years now so allow me to buy you a drink. I know a good, quiet place.”

“Lead the way,” Mr. Ravinia replied, waving a hand that Shido could imagine was large enough to swat planes from the sky.

 

After managing to weave through alleyways, avoiding the scammers standing at bar entrances enticing them with “good deals” and “cheap drinks”, they entered a small establishment. Beyond the sliding door and the noren, a quiet, calm little bar welcomed the two men with soft, amber lighting and jazz music lilting through the speakers. An older gentleman behind the bar acknowledged them as they sat in a corner booth, and went back to cleaning the countertop.

“I’d first like to apologize to you Mr. Ravinia,” Shido began as they settled into their seats, “I’m here because a friend pressured me into it, she was the one who listed my profile to that site, so I completely understand if you are disappointed and would like to leave.”

Mr. Ravinia sat calmly across from Shido and folded his hands together on the tabletop. “I would like to answer your apology with an apology of my own.” He paused and seemed to chuckle at himself, and shook his head, “I find myself apologizing a lot more frequently since arriving here in Japan, it seems to be quite the trend for this country.” Shido smiled in understanding, yes, the Japanese did enjoy their politeness and apologies. Mr. Ravinia continued, “First off, since you told me your name, or what you’d rather be called, if you would kindly call me Saint Dane, or just Dane.” He recognized the flit of confusion on the other man’s face, “Yes, Saint is part of my name, not a title.” He smirked, “Far from a being a title.”

A distracting quiver ran through Shido, but he nodded in consent, and Saint Dane continued, “Second, you and I are here now, so let’s just see where this evening leads us. If either of us are uncomfortable I say that we are free to leave and head home.”

That sounded reasonable to Shido, and he said so. “You had mentioned you’re only here until Monday? Where is home for you, Saint Dane?”

A dark chuckle escaped Saint Dane’s lips, but he shook his head, his face returning to a pleasant smile, “Oh no, I’m more of a traveler, spending my time traveling from place to place, taking the time to settle down and absorb a bit of the culture in locations that I find interesting.”

“Really? Wow! That sounds pretty nice,” Shido said wistfully, imagining all the places he would love to see, but immediately slumped sadly as he realized most of the destinations could only be seen in daylight, or were too far away to reach on a single red-eye flight. He perked back up, “So how are you liking Japan?”

Saint Dane shrugged, “It’s certainly a very polite and organized city, and the people here are quite subservient.”

“Huh?”

Saint Dane waved it away, “Sorry, wrong word. I meant to say something more along the lines of the fact that people here go far out of their way to help a stranger.”

Shido made a shrugging motion, and slid out from the booth, “I’m going to order us some drinks. What would you like?”

“A single malt whisky, please.”

As Shido placed their orders he looked out of the side of his eyes at this strange man he had come to meet. There was something very… ominous about Saint Dane. He was perfectly pleasant, but there was something about him that made Shido wary. Perhaps it was just the looming height of the man, or his strange, blue eyes, an intense tint he had never seen in a human. Maybe that was it, was Saint Dane not human?

Returning with their drinks, Shido tried to indiscreetly inhale the other man’s scent. It was strangely absent, and all he could get was hints of the subway, and the whiskey and coffee that sat before them. Not even a whiff of musk, or warm skin. He could hear a heartbeat though, and that was pumping away at a normal, human pace.

Saint Dane watched in slight amusement as the purple-haired man across from him attempted to subtly assess him, staring intensely as if he was thinking hard about something. He waited patiently for Shido to finish his thoughts and took a quick sip of his whiskey, enjoying the slightly smoother taste of the Japanese brand. Even if nothing came of this meeting, at least he got a good drink out of it.

Shido blinked out of his thoughts and shyly looked down into his coffee, “Sorry, I was just thinking about how to start this conversation.”

“I think it may be prudent to immediately say what we are looking to get out of this meeting. You mentioned you were only here because a friend made an account for you on Kinky Meetups? Did they do this because it’s something you’re into, or was it a prank?”

“It’s…” Shido scrunched up his face, “Well, what did my profile even say? I have no idea what Guni even wrote about me!”

Saint Dane slid his phone out from a pant pocket and booted up the app. After some scrolling he cleared his throat and read:

“Hello, I’m Purplevamp. I am a bisexual, single male looking for someone to be a blood donor to help satiate my lust for blood (and cock). I am a power bottom and will happily fulfill your vampire fantasies with biting, scratching, and blood play. I do require proof of medical testing for any diseases of the blood or genitals from within the last month so that we may both have a fun and safe experience. I’ll be listening for your racing heartbeat.”

 

By now, Shido had slid down in his seat, covered his face in his hands, and was hoping a Nightbreed would just crash through the door and slay him immediately.  He peeked out from behind a curtain of hair when he heard something rustle near his elbow, noticing a piece of paper. He glanced at it, realizing it was a printed copy of a medical report, and Saint Dane hadn’t been lying about his name as it was officially printed at the top of the page.

“I had that done a couple nights ago after reading your profile. At the very worst, you wouldn’t have responded and I would have the peace of mind knowing I was up to date on my checkups and tests.”

In his mind, Shido was thinking of the many different ways he was going to kill Guni next time he saw her, but he set that aside and took a deep breath, working up the courage to look Saint Dane in the eyes again.

Saint Dane smirked, “So, how much of what your friend wrote is true?”

“Well, if I had written it, it wouldn’t be anywhere near as vulgar.”

“I’m coming to understand that, yes.”

Shido gulped, how much should he actually reveal? This man was leaving in just a few days, so Saint Dane wouldn’t be able to be a permanent donor. Guni had given him some wriggle room to pretend to be a human acting like he was a vampire, so he could play off of that. He was also going on two weeks without a feeding, and if he refused to drink any blood tonight, he would start becoming very weak in the next few days. Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t, it seemed.

“What Guni says is true about the whole vampire thing, I-uh, I like to bite and drink blood.” He hid his face by pretending to drink the coffee and took a steadying inhale of it’s delicious scent, wishing he could drink it for real.

“Do you use fake fangs or a knife? It doesn’t look like you’ve gone so far as to file down your teeth and, forgive me for saying this, you do not seem the type to enjoy bringing pain to others.” Saint Dane looked down upon Shido, taking note that his fingernails were not sharpened, his clothes were clean, new, and trendy. The man may have purple hair, but nothing about him seemed “goth” or “vampiric” at all.

“Oh, uh, fake fangs, but I swear everything is very sanitary about what I do. As for pain, I’m still very new to the...um...BDSM scene. Er, I had a brush with it in the past, but I left that experience knowing I did not like being whipped.”

Saint Dane barked out a laugh, a deep sound that rumbled loudly throughout the quiet bar, surprising himself almost as much as the bar’s other two occupants. His laughter calmed down into a few chuckles, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Well what about you? I didn’t get to read your profile either. I’m basically flying blind through this whole experience.”

Saint Dane sat back, his finger circling the rim of his tumbler, “My turn, hm? I enjoy pain. Giving it, receiving it, I derive pleasure from any aspect of pain. That makes many people think me a monster, but I think that if both parties are enjoying themselves and are in a safe and controlled environment, pain and pleasure can easily blur together into a very intense, sexual experience.” He took a drink, noticing Shido’s discomfort, and continued, “Don’t worry, I want to be the one receiving the pain, or else I wouldn’t have hooked up with a vampire.” He gave a wink.

Oh god, was he going to go through with this? Guni’s plan was actually playing out pretty nicely. Here was a grown man, seemingly in his late 30s, talking maturely about consensual sex and masochism between two strangers, even following up with a requested medical report. It all seemed to be running unusually smoothly but, oh it's been so _long_ since Shido had sex with anyone and now that the chance was right in front of him he was _terrified_.

“I promise we can take it slow. You don’t seem the type to throw yourself wantonly into the heat of the moment,” Saint Dane remarked, sipping the last of his whiskey and licked his lips.

The twitch his cock gave in response to that small gesture was answer enough to his quandary. Shido closed his eyes and gave a nod. He couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this, but sex and food were very strong motivators for a man. “Okay, yes, let’s give it a shot.” He opened his eyes and gave a small smile. “Can I buy you another drink?”

Saint Dane shook his head, “No thank you, that was just enough to warm me up and give me some courage. I’d prefer to be able to remember tonight.” He nodded at Shido’s coffee, “You didn’t seem to drink much, was it not to your liking? Can I buy you something different?”

“Oh no, that’s alright. It was delicious, but I really do need to cut back on the caffeine.”

Saint Dane shrugged but filed the detail away in the back of his mind. They both stood and exited the bar, giving their thanks to the bartender on the way out, back into the loud and chaotic bustle of Golden Gai. Shido tentatively placed his hand on Saint Dane’s arm and led him up the street, “Let’s get off the main road there and go this way. It’ll take us to Kabukicho. I looked up a couple reputable love hotels that won’t turn us away.”

“Turn us away?” Saint Dane asked as they began to walk, enjoying the small gesture of the hand that stayed on his arm.

“Some of the rabuho are particular about their clientele and keeping a certain image. We represent two unwanted traits of being foreigners, as well as both being male,” Shido explained.

“Huh, that seems to go against a lot of the welcoming Japanese aesthetic.”

“But it is on par with the Japanese aesthetic of keeping up appearances, as well as holding fast to tradition and keeping out outside influences. As for homosexuality, it’s seen as going against the cultural norm and being brashly different to spite the rules of normativity. ‘The nail that sticks out will get hammered down’ as the saying goes around here,” Shido explained.

“So they turn away foreigners from a love hotel like that?” Saint Dane nodded toward one that seemed to be French-themed. Shido shrugged, “Maybe, but the more glitzy and touristy, the more likely it was made for tourists. It’s the smaller ones you have to look out for.”

They walked in silence for a while, taking in the buildings around them and the people they passed.

Shido’s mind was still doing loop-di-loops in panic, anticipation, and hunger. What in the world was he doing?!

“I’m getting the feeling you’ve never done something like this before,” Saint Dane’s voice softly rumbled from beside him. Shido looked up, and Saint Dane could see just how nervous this man was.

“No,” he shook his head, creating a flurry of purple strands to go flying, “It’s been… a very long time since I’ve been with anyone. The app was Guni’s push for me to get out there and find someone. I’m very much a homebody. I don’t get out often besides what my work makes me do.”

“And what kind of work would that be, may I ask?”

Ever the Japanese businessman, Shido immediately produced a business card and handed it over. Saint Dane’s pale eyes widened in the first display of actual shock Shido had yet to see this evening.

“You’re a detective?” Yes, he was most certainly shocked, and a touch amused. This thin man beside him, with hair longer than he’d honestly ever seen on a male, looking to be barely 30, was a detective?

A pleasant laugh sounded from Shido’s lips that dispelled a bit of the tension in the air, “I know, I don’t look it, but I’ve been working in conjunction with the Kanagawa police department and the NOS agency for quite a while. I’m quick on my feet and have a good mind for patterns and deduction, when I’m in my element.”

“You mentioned being here in Japan for, what was it, 30 years? And yet you barely look to be more than 25.”

“Oh, yes, I get that all the time,” Shido laughed nervously and did not say anything more, leaving Saint Dane to wonder just how old the detective truly was. He let it slide, and filed that anomaly away with the others.

“What about you, Saint Dane?” he asked curiously after a few quiet seconds.

“What about me? Have I done this before, or what is my profession?”

Shido shrugged, “Either? Both? Whatever you want to say.”

“I’ve been on that app for about a year now, opening it up in hopes I’d find someone nearby that seemed decent enough to meet my needs, but hadn’t met anyone yet. Many years ago I was in love with a fellow traveler, but our destinies broke us apart and made us go our separate ways.”

“People meet and people part, huh?” Shido piped up, and Saint Dane agreed.

“As for a profession, I just take on the part of what’s really needed to help revive a company or business. I’m like an advisor, helping tear it down and build it back up so that it thrives for the better.”

“Ah,” exclaimed Shido, “Does your work help pay for your travel expenses?”

“Oh yes, it’s truly a great opportunity. Work during the day, explore and learn by night. I have a great passion for what I do and the places I see,” Saint Dane explained, giving another one of those grins that was just slightly off.

Luckily they had arrived to a thin, inconspicuous building, nestled among many others of its ilk, the only indication of its name was a shiny metal plaque posted beside the door, which Saint Dane held open for the young detective.

The building was like a geode, as the plain walls outside gave no indication to the beautiful, decorated lobby that greeted them as they entered.  The floor was tiled marble, clean and spotless, and the walls were elegantly decorated in a victorian style, but not overdone as to be tasteless, and best of all, there was absolutely no one else there.

Shido made his way over to a machine, “How long did you want to stay?”

Saint Dane approached and read the options, “Three hours should be enough, and seems to be the better deal. I don’t need anything too fancy.” He placed a hand on Shido’s shoulder and scooted him aside. “Here, I’m paying for this. You bought the drinks.”

“Oh, I don’t mind paying, really, it’s no trouble,” he started, but before he knew it, Saint Dane had already chosen a room, paid the machine, and was retrieving the key it deposited. He turned and grinned, “Too late, Shido. Come on, I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to get this evening started.” He pulled Shido to his chest, his demeanor quickly changing to something more sultry. “My blood is practically singing for you to release it,” he whispered low in Shido’s ear.

 


	2. An arrangement

If Shido wasn’t turned on yet, he certainly was now. Saint Dane’s arm encircled him and held him close as he spoke in a voice that was about as smooth and dangerous as the whiskey it smelled like. A quickened heartbeat filled his ears and he gulped, as he was only tall enough to reach Saint Dane’s collar bone, and the man’s jugular was tantalizingly close. His cock gave an almost violent lurch to life, and he could feel his senses straining towards the blood he heard rushing before him.

Shido shuddered slightly and took a deep, calming breath, but it didn’t go unnoticed by the pale haired man he stepped away from. “Let’s at least try to make it to our room first,” Shido joked and summoned the elevator to their floor, only to have the small space made smaller as it was filled with Saint Dane’s great form. Once again he was pressed against that hard body and, speaking of hard, there was most definitely something poking him in his back.

The door dinged open and Shido practically stumbled out, his legs not receiving brain signals as well as they should, seeing as how blood was starting to redirect itself more southward. Saint Dane seemed to be more calm as he strode down the hall and took Shido by his hand, leading them into the room marked with their keycard’s number.

The room was small but again beautifully decorated and actually looked very comfortable. The lighting wasn’t too bright, the walls decorated with tapestries and sconces, going with the Victorian feel. The bed was the center of the room, looking luxurious and clean, and beside the bed, in a victorian take on being kinky, was an elaborate wall mirror, surrounded by an elegantly carved, wood frame.

Shido froze the moment he saw the mirror, his brain going blank, and he knew Saint Dane had not missed that one crucial detail that was absent in the mirror.

“I suppose I will not get the pleasure to watch your naked body if we choose to make love here tonight,” Saint Dane quipped.

With a defeated flop, Shido sat on the edge of the bed, and then glanced up at Saint Dane, open mouthed, as his words finally sank in. “Oh my god, how are you so _calm_ about this?! I never meant for you to find out I was _actually_ a vampire!”

Saint Dane sat down beside Shido, smirking. “Then you need to learn how to fake drink your coffee better, or not order a drink next time you go on a date. It also helps to not say you’ve been in Japan for 30 years when you look so much younger than that.”

How was this man so calm after learning his date was a vampire?! “Seriously, Saint Dane, how are you not panicking? You’re not a vampire yourself, I can see your reflection. You don’t smell like anything supernatural, so you’re not a nightbreed or possessed by anything like that, but you don’t really smell like anything. What _are_ you?” He scooted away from Saint Dane, his mind back to working order and ready to fight or flee this unusual being. How could he have been so stupid? Now look at the situation he got himself into, thinking with his fangs and his dick!

Saint Dane’s calmness didn’t waver as he shrugged out of his blazer and stood up to place it on a hanger in the closet. “I suppose I’m not entirely human. I wasn’t really born I just...was. Then I learned how to be more than just a human.” Turning around he stood aside, making sure to give Shido room and was not blocking the exit should the startled vampire decide to flee. “When one comes to see life, time, and existence as a great big...oh how to say it...computer code, you can unlock the secret to hacking it to fit your needs.”

“That’s a metaphor that I don’t think I can relate to,” Shido said in a panic, “I have no idea what that means. Is it magic? A pact with a demon? Those are things I can understand, but the fact that I need a small imp to program my cell phone for me indicates that I have not entered gracefully into this digital age.”

“No, not magic, more like… time travel? Dimensional travel?” Saint Dane took a moment to think of a way of explaining, “Have you ever watched or heard of that show they have in England called Doctor Who?”

“Is that the guy with the phone booth?”

He chuckled, “Something like that. He’s able to travel through time and space in that box. Meanwhile, I’m able to travel between what’s known as territories, different worlds that were blessed with intelligence. I am able to travel to these worlds, much like the Doctor in his little box.”

“So there are others like you?”

“Yes, one I had mentioned earlier was a lover of mine in the past, but we parted a long time ago due to some differences. I haven’t seen him since.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Shido mumbled. “Do you miss him?”

Saint Dane seemed startled for a moment and thought a good while on this question. “I don’t think he misses me very much, unfortunately, but there are times I do miss what we had. He was my moral compass.”

Shido hissed. “Shit, you’re the villain in all this, aren’t you? Goddammit Shido,” he berated himself, “You’re always falling for the bad guy.” His mind flashed back to the comments Saint Dane had made about pain, all those strange smirks and smiles he had made. Angrily, he stood up and made his way to the door, “I’m out of here, I don’t need another evil stalker in my life.”

“You already gave me your business card, Shido,” Saint Dane chuckled. “Sit back down, I’m not a bad guy. I’m not a good guy either, but I merely push those that deserve it in the right direction so that they may bring about their own downfall. I let the corruption and evil that is already filling the hearts of world leaders dig their graves for them.”

“That’s _exactly_ what a villain would say.” Shido said, reaching for the doorknob. “In fact, isn’t that what Pontius Pilate said? Sure, he didn’t crucify Jesus himself, but he certainly had a big hand in his death.”

Saint Dane smirked, “I have not sentenced to death any messiahs. I am only here tonight to be helpless in the hands of another, someone willing to show me what it’s like to give something so precious as my own blood. If I’m lucky, it will be my blood staining your lithe hands by the end of the night.” Saying this, he gently took said hands into his own and lifted them up to his lips for a kiss. “You’re so cold, and I am willing to give you my warmth, no strings attached. Tonight I am not Saint Dane of Solara, but a man with a longing to be fed upon,” he muttered against the pale, shaking hands, and looked up into Shido’s eyes. His stomach flipped with a sudden clench of arousal as the eyes he looked into were no longer emerald, but a cat-like yellow, pupil not blown by lust, but vertical like a predator’s.

“Why? What lead you to make these decisions?” Shido asked, his voice sharp and angry. “Am I a tool of retribution for you? Giving you the pain you deserve for your sins? Do you believe you'll feel absolved from the lives you destroyed from your meddling after your blood has been painfully drained from you?” With each question Shido forced Saint Dane to take a step back, baring his fangs and growling, “I may be a creature of the night but I slay demons, I kill those that would threaten to hurt the innocent, and I will never again be bullied by a man who thinks he can control me.” The soft, cold hands had slipped from Saint Dane's grasp and had come up to threateningly encircle the Traveler's throat, a grip like iron slammed his head against the wall that stopped them from going any further.

Saint Dane remained calm on the outside, but a tempest was starting to roil inside him, stirring his blood and quickening his heartbeat. The slight, young, purple haired detective he had observed from across the subway station had transformed into something much less human and something much more to his liking, and he licked his lips in anticipation. “I just want you to be aware that everything you said does have a ring of truth to it, but it's also very much a descriptor for the submissive role in BDSM. You're not uncovering any hidden truths that wasn't revealed on Kinky Meetups.”

“Ugh,” Shido made a noise of disgust as he shoved Saint Dane against the wall and stepped away. The tall man cleared his throat and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms nonchalantly, and calmly brushed an invisible speck from his sleeve. A tense bubble of silence descended upon them as both fought down different feelings rising up inside. Shido fought to control his anger and disgust for playing right into the Traveler's hands, giving him just what he wanted. Saint Dane did his best to smother the lust that was beginning to crawl up his spine, making his pants feel a bit too tight.

Finally, the vampire broke the silence. “Fine,” he exclaimed in defeat, “I'm crazy for staying here, but if you make me regret it I won't hesitate to kill you.”

“Seems reasonable,” Saint Dane nodded.

“I'm also the one in control tonight. You already claimed the role of the sub and I'd feel more comfortable being the one in charge and setting the pace.” Saint Dane was not prepared for what the vampire did next. Biting his thumb, the blood that flowed out didn't drop onto the floor but instead formed itself into a solid-looking rope, which he coiled into loops and held in his hands. “Take off your shirt, I'm going to tie your hands behind you.”

Saint Dane complied, chuckling as he undid his shirt buttons. “Are you sure you've never done this before?”

Shido snarled, “I've been the unwilling sub too many times, and have learned from the pain and humiliation to never give anyone that power over me again. No, if I'm in control I can make sure you don't try anything funny.”

“I give all control over to you, unless you say otherwise.” Saint Dane remarked and folded his shirt neatly, placed it on a nearby chair, and turned around with his hands behind his back.

Shido had been watching with a wary eye, which soon turned into a more interested gaze, and then hungry glances when Saint Dane's back was fully turned. Hadn't Saint Dane said something about being able to hack his form and getting rid of human weakness? Well, he sure had done a good job. Broad shoulders, strong arms, muscles that were taut in the right places, his body was a walking sculpture of Adonis-esque physique and beauty. His other claim about enjoying pain was also becoming evident. The shirt had been hiding a swirling tattoo that trailed over his left shoulder, spilling across his chest and down his side. The glint of a nipple ring also caught Shido's attention, matching the silver studs and rings that decorated his ears.

 _Jesus, look at me slavering over his body, I'm just as bad as Cain._ He shook his head to clear it and stepped forward to tie the proffered hands together.

“There,” he exclaimed when finished and Saint Dane turned back around.

“Your hands are very cold.” Shido opened his mouth to retort but the Traveler continued, “That's just an observation, not a complaint, but let me ask you: when was the last time you fed? When your friend wrote that you needed a blood donor, that was the truth, wasn't it?”

The sadness that flickered across Shido's face indicated that Saint Dane had yet again made an astute deduction. He let out a deep sigh, “It's been about a week or so; I can go for a while without feeding but it will slowly begin to take it's toll on my strength.”

“Any chance biting someone will turn them into a vampire?”

Shido shook his head, “Not unless I drain them and then make them drink my blood.”

“What happened to your previous donor?”

Shido perked up a bit. “Oh she's fine, just getting old, like humans do. I can't continue to take from her without putting her health at risk. She doesn't know I'm here or even looking for a replacement but… it's something that has to be done or else I'll lose a very good friend, and it would be all my fault.”

“Why continue to stay here? You've already made up your mind that I'm a bad man, you've got me tied up and could easily subdue me, and I'm not going to be a constant source of blood for you anyway, since I'm busy hopping from territory to territory.” He cocked his head curiously, strands of his loose, white hair tickling over his shoulder. “Is it hunger for blood that keeps you here?” He grinned, “Or something more?”

Shido gave a derisive snort, “You know exactly how handsome you look, but I’m not falling for it. What keeps me here is the promise of blood. You offered and I'm taking it. Beyond that, there is nothing else between us. You know my secret. Now if you would so kindly make your way over to the bed and sit or lay down on it, we can get things over with and get on with our strange, little lives.”

Saint Dane wiggled his eyebrows, “And yet you do so well giving orders. I envy the next person you hook up with on that app.” He propped himself in a sitting position upon the bed’s pillows, kicking off his shoes first. Wriggling, he was finally able to find a good position that didn't hurt his bound arms.

The vampire approached the bed, straddling Saint Dane's legs and waist so that he could easily access his throat. “I'm deleting that app the moment I leave here,” he explained as he took the Traveler's chin in his hand and tilted his head to the right.

“Pity,” Saint Dane mumbled, closing his eyes in anticipation. The skin on his neck tingled, every hair there standing straight up from the shiver that ran down his back, settling in the pit of his stomach to pool there with desire. Then a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind as fangs sank deep, creating sweet jolts of pain. Lips closed around the fangs and began to suck, and Saint Dane gasped at the feeling of sheer, orgasmic lust that washed over him. He didn't expect to feel a connection like this; he was sure Shido could hear his thoughts as surely as he could hear a racing heartbeat. Thoughts and feelings that couldn't possibly be his own began to fill his head, but flitted about too quickly to really grasp onto. Hunger and arousal were two that he recognized, but the sense of guilt was certainly not his own. Neither was the flash of the thought about someone named Cain and the words _Fuck, so good, never imagined…_ over and over.

Shido knew he was in trouble the moment his tongue tasted that first drop of blood. He had never tasted blood like it before and it certainly lent credence to the fact that Saint Dane was inhuman, or at least not from this world or dimension. With a moan, he began to suck, eager to draw more than the meager amount that was pumping on its own into his mouth. The blood seemed to flow down his throat and immediately rush through his veins; power and strength he had never before obtained through just a mouthful were already tingling all through his extremities. Yes, powerful, that was the word that best described what he was feeling right now. Human blood kept him alive, but this blood was giving him so much more.

Saint Dane strained against his bind, wishing he could just crush Shido closer, so he arched his back and brought up his hips, closing the space between them. Shido’s hips responded instinctively by grinding down. Their thoughts had both whittled down to the most basic desires and were mingling together to create a mantra that ran through both of their heads as the blood continued to connect them.

_Fuckohgoddelicioussogoodmorecloserfuckmoremoremore!_

“Bee BOOP!” Vrrrr!

The two men jolted from their trance at the loud, electronic noise and the vibration that had been very close to their groins. Shido quickly pulled away with a gasp but still felt his body humming with energy as the fresh, new blood coursed through it. It also seemed to be coursing to a particular point in his body and he became very aware that he had been grinding his hard on against Saint Dane’s. Or maybe Saint Dane had started grinding on him.

Shido leaped from off his perch over the Traveler’s still-panting body and dug his phone from out of his jean pocket. Saint Dane, after catching his breath and getting back a small amount of his usual, cool composure, rolled his head to where the vampire stood looking at his phone. “Really?” He groaned, his voice coming out a lot more gravelly than he intended. His throat throbbed, he didn’t mind that, but it felt so much better when there were fangs to accompany the pain. And a hot tongue lapping at it. And lips to suck on it.

Shido had the decency to blush and gave an apologetic little bow, “Sorry, sorry, it’s just Guni checking up on me.” He opened up his LINE chat and saw her message:

Guni: How’s it going?

 

Shido quickly started punching in a reply with an angry finger:

 

Shido: im fine guni ill contact you when finished putting phone on silent now bye

 

With a violent push to the SEND button he immediately put the phone down on Saint Dane’s folded shirt.

“Bee BOOP!” Vrrrr!

“Arrrggh!” Shido raged and picked the phone back up.

 

Guni: Ooooh, I wish you had Snapchat! Details!

Shido: no! shut up!

 

Saint Dane watched in amusement from his spot on the bed as the sexually frustrated vampire angrily swept the loose hair from his face.

Shido glanced over and saw those blue eyes--a little less blue, a little more pupil--watching him. He blushed, “Can you put my phone on silent? I don't know how to do it.”

“No,” Saint Dane wriggled his bound arms, “But if you push the volume button all the way down, you should get an icon that tells you when it’s on manner mode.”

“Ah, there we go.” Again, he threw the phone on top of Saint Dane’s shirt, protected against interruptions for the time being. Shido dug into his pockets, pulled out some yen, and kneeled down next to the room’s small table. Sliding a wooden panel aside, what Saint Dane assumed was a small cubby, revealed a tiny vending machine with drinks and other items. Yen clattered into the coin slot and Shido removed a drink from it’s tiny drawer. Repeating this one more time, he made his way back to the bed.

“Here, you need to stay hydrated. Do you want Pocari Sweat or regular water? I suggest the Pocari Sweat, it’ll get your electrolytes and sugars back up.” Shido held up the two bottles and Saint Dane nodded to the blue one.

“I feel fine, Shido,” Saint Dane assured him but the vampire shook his head and twisted open the bottle, taking a seat next to him on the bed.

“I didn’t take very much from you but you’d better drink up anyway.” He pressed the bottle to Saint Dane’s lips and he took an obliging gulp.

“So, does this mean you want to continue?” Saint Dane grinned and Shido smugly erased it by making the man chug more of the drink. His eyes were drawn to the beautiful throat, marred by two small holes that still bled a bit, and the large adam’s apple that bobbed as he drank. What in the world was happening here? Was he really so lonely and horny that the idea of continuing where they left off made him happy?

“Mmmf!” Came a muffled sound and Shido broke from his thoughts. Saint Dane had stopped drinking but Shido continued to tilt the drink into his mouth and Pocari Sweat was starting to dribble down his chin.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” He took the drink away and swiped a thumb across Saint Dane’s mouth and chin, then unthinkingly stuck the thumb into his own mouth. The tang of the gatorade-like drink brought him to his senses and he saw Saint Dane eyeing the digit he had thrust into his mouth.

Saint Dane licked his lips, “Would you be more apt to stick around if I said I was greatly enjoying myself and, honestly, have never felt this way before?” He winced at his cliche words. “What I mean to say is, I never really imagined being bitten by a vampire would be so… intense.” He frowned, “Hm, that word doesn’t quite fit either. You read those romantic vampire fictions and they talk about how erotic it is, and that was certainly true here too, but it was also very… humbling? Soothing as well as intense? My brain isn’t functioning at full capacity at the moment, but I didn’t expect the strange connection you created with my blood.”

Shido sat there silently, taking it all in. He hadn’t even been aware that Saint Dane was getting so much on his side of the feeding. It was normal for Shido to tune into his donor’s feelings; vague urges or emotions that were gone the moment he stopped feeding, but he could still feel the confident sense of power that emanated from Saint Dane. He could also still feel an infuriatingly familiar sense of smug superiority, but he did his best to smother that emotion. There were two emotions that were very familiar to Shido, a sense of justice and a lingering loneliness.

“What happened here tonight isn’t exactly normal,” Shido began slowly, closing the drink bottle and placing it on the night stand. “What normally happens is I drink someone’s blood, I get a vague sense of their feelings and emotions, and if there’s anything possessing them, or plaguing them, or any lingering evil, I can siphon it from them safely.” He gave a laugh, “Like what doctors thought they were doing with leeches back in the day. Yayoi said that, while it could be tiring, it always felt good and she felt lighter afterward. Or at least unburdened, as well as light headed. But I've never had anyone feel anything more on their end.” Shido stroked a finger over his bite marks and Saint Dane gave a shiver, but listened with great interest. “Tonight, though, I’m still feeling as if I’m connected to you. You’re not sure whether you like not being in control. You figured you could easily overpower me if you needed to, and quickly gain back control of the situation. You weren’t expecting vampires to actually be real, and now that you know, you’re questioning on just how much is out there you don’t know about, and it’s making you feel uncomfortable. You don’t want me to say ‘scared’ because that is a word that is synonymous to ‘weak’ in your mind. I don’t know what you are, but you are inhuman, and the blood that I drank was like nothing I’ve ever had before. Your confidence in your own power is rightly placed, the fact that just a small draft of your blood did this much for me is proof, but I don’t know how you use that power, and I don’t think I want to find out.”

Saint Dane’s stomach clenched in a feeling of guilt that surprised him so much, he almost gasped from it. What in the hell was going on here? Were Shido’s emotions also still lingering within him? Guilt was not an emotion he felt. This submissive experience had gotten out of his control as it had gone beyond just the physical inability to defend himself. What could he say to gain the upperhand in this battle of emotions?

“Who’s Cain?” He asked, and never before had he seen a person go so still. It was the unnatural stillness of statues, or of stone.

Shido’s eyes narrowed and all emotions drained from his face, leaving one: hatred. “What did you just say?”

Saint Dane refused to gulp or look away, so he repeated his question in as calm and cool a voice as he could.

Shido, who had been sitting beside him, tenderly helping him drink, now twisted completely around and leapt upon Saint Dane, but his body language did not convey a scrap of tenderness or lust, it was tense and hard as a steel beam; his fangs were bared and his eyes blazed yellow. His fingernails, which Saint Dane had noted earlier were normal, were now long, pointed, and digging into his neck and hair, yanking his head painfully towards the vampire’s snarling lips.

“How do you know that name?” He shouted. In a wrong move, Saint Dane smirked, happy to have the ball back in his court on the emotional front, and delighting in the feel of razor sharp nails digging into his neck and scalp.

“Ah, I have hit upon a touchy subject, no?” He said, and hissed as his hair was again yanked painfully. “I don’t know, you may have to drain it out of me,” he teased, and let out a surprised shout when Shido actually did.  

The vampire was so out of his mind with anger that all he could think to do was stopping that filthy name from coming out of Saint Dane’s mouth. He didn’t just bite, he chomped down with an audible snap upon the Traveler’s throat and growled. Then he took a massive swallow and realized that he had yet again done exactly as Saint Dane wanted. The smugness that flowed into him was like oil, but it was peppered with delight in getting what he wanted, and the hot tang of arousal seasoned every platelet.

Saint Dane didn’t realize how deep Shido’s hatred ran. For such a kindly-seeming man, that one name brought out a sadistic mean streak that set the Traveler’s flesh on fire. The fangs in his neck no longer just punctured, they tore and mauled, and the feelings of pain, betrayal, and anger washed over him in a wave he remembered drowning in himself, a long time ago. A memory of blond hair flickered in his mind, and then disgust; at himself, at this man, and at everything he had become.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he rasped gently into the purple head of hair that filled the corner of his vision. He did his best to angle his head to rub a cheek against that soft hair, secretly enjoying the feel of his skin tearing a bit under sharp nails that fought to hold him still, and fangs that were beginning to ease off.

Shido forced himself to unlatch, tasting the slight tinge of regret and sorrow that began to flow into his mouth. If he had been in his right mind, he would have thought this newfound method of lie detecting amusing, as it was he was still angry and shaken. He pulled his head back but kept hold of Saint Dane’s chin, now forcing it to look back at him. “What the _fuck_ , Saint Dane?!”

Saint Dane fluttered his eyes open and looked into those yellow eyes that were now wet with angry tears. _Red, angry tears, of_ course _he cries blood_ , he thought. His question may have thrown Shido for a loop, helping Saint Dane regain more control, but it had made that disgusting feeling of guilt grow worse. Why did he care what Shido thought of him? He got his blood, Saint Dane got to enjoy being nibbled upon, they could return to their strange lives having expanded their knowledge of the supernatural world.

Yet, it had been a pleasant change of pace sitting in that bar, talking to a nervous, shy man. A man that was just as confused about what was going on here as Saint Dane was. He would never admit it out loud, but it had also been kind of nice sitting there and have Shido help him drink. Saint Dane couldn’t really think of a time someone had cared for him like that.

He heaved a sigh, “I’m sorry Shido, that was a cheap trick on my part.” The pressure on his chin disappeared, and sharp nails retracted, giving Saint Dane the freedom to shift into a more upright position. He tentatively shifted his gaze back to Shido. Nope, still angry.

“Let me start off by saying I don’t know who this Cain person is. I heard his name in your thoughts when you were feeding.” He paused but Shido just continued to sit on him and glare, his arms crossed and his mouth a thin line. “And… I don’t like not knowing what’s going on,” Saint Dane continued, “So I thought I’d throw you off by saying that name, maybe get you worked up and start biting me again. I suppose it did work in a way…”

Shido remained silent.

“I don’t normally apologize, and even when I do I rarely mean it. I have what you’d call a grand sense of superiority-” This earned him a snort from Shido, but he soldiered on in his painful, roundabout apology. “Yes, understatement, I know, but I think what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry for riling you up using a name I heard in your thoughts, even when I knew it was someone you hated.” Saint Dane rushed out the last part and shifted his eyes to the right, refusing to look the man in the eye as he ruminated on the strange apology.

Again, Shido went unnaturally still, head cocked and eyes locked onto Saint Dane’s face.This man was so… strange. He had honestly started to have a good time--finally getting something to eat helped improve his mood immensely--and then he pulled the “villain move”, as Shido’s mind was choosing to describe it.

“So what I’m starting to learn is that I should be gagging you, not tying you up, to prevent you from hurting me,” came Shido’s biting reply.

Saint Dane winced, “I guess I deserve that.”

“Don’t talk about things you know nothing about.”

“I was actually _asking_ so that I could learn more about you-” A hand covered his mouth and Saint Dane did his best to look as innocently as possible up through his lashes.

Shido leaned forward, “You were doing good- _we_ were doing good. I was actually enjoying myself despite our incredibly bizarre lifestyles. Then you did that thing you apparently do by mixing shit up, making the tension high, and taking control of the situation without seeming to lift a finger. _I_ don’t want to play that game. I want to satiate my hunger and maybe even get laid for the first time in fucking _decades_. So, stop being the villain, just for tonight, and lay back and be my meal and possibly my fuck. Am I making myself clear?”

He took his hand away but Saint Dane remained quiet and simply nodded. Shido looked pleased. “Good.” He reached toward the bed stand and lifted the Pocari Sweat to the stunned man’s lips. “Drink,” he ordered and the Traveler once again complied. As he finished the drink Shido spoke up, “Cain is my sire. I had no choice in becoming a vampire and he made me do many bad things. He constantly tries to get me to return to him but I’d rather shove a stake into my own heart than do that. There, now you know. Do you want me to open the water?”  

Saint Dane had drained the electrolyte drink but shook his head. Shido threw the bottle to the ground and started to stand up.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Saint Dane asked, sitting up, making Shido grin at the slight panic he heard in his voice.

“Relax, I was going to get a washcloth. You’ve got a little…” Shido motioned a hand around his entire face.

Saint Dane turned toward the mirror. His entire neck was smeared with blood, some of it already flecking his hair, and some still oozed from a bright red and bruised bite mark over his jugular. Some had been smeared across his cheek, and angry divots from fingers lined his jaw. “I think you got more on me than in your mouth.” He tilted his head to the side admiring the sweet sting of the bites. “No need to get a washcloth, I’m enjoying this look.”

Shido abandoned the washcloth and returned to the bed. He glanced at the clock, “It’s only been an hour. How are your arms?”

“A little sore, but they’re fine.”

Shido held his arms over his head, stood on his tiptoes, and stretched.

“Well now you’re just showing off.”  

The vampire grinned down at Saint Dane. “Would you like me to show off more?” he teased.

“Oh yes,” was the reply. Shido pulled the sweater up over his head and threw it into a corner, then got to work on his new shirt’s buttons. Still standing beside the bed his fingers flew and he was shrugging out of it in no time, matching Saint Dane now in his upper-body nakedness.

Saint Dane gazed appreciatively at the pale, flawless skin before him. The vampire was skinny, but lithe, with strong muscles waiting just under the surface of the soft skin. He longed to run a hand over his stomach to watch the muscles twitch and jump, or pinch a nipple to hear a gasp, but he could only sit there and stare.

“Might as well take the rest off, while you’re up,” suggested Saint Dane with a sly grin on his face. He sat back again on the pillows, “I’ll just be here appreciating the view.”

Shido rolled his eyes. “You’re greedy,” he exclaimed but leaned down to take off his socks anyway, and removed the elastic from his hair, freeing the rest of the purple locks. With an actual blush now, he slowly unbuttoned his jeans and drew down the zipper. With an unceremonious shimmy he drew down his pants and boxers at the same time, kicking the rest of his clothes in the same general direction as his shirt.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Saint Dane murmured, “The carpet matches the drapes.”

Shido looked down and then back up, glaring as he covered himself with his hands. “Excuse me, I bare myself to you and _that’s_ the first thing you have to say?!”

“Shido, you have _purple_ hair. How is that natural?” Saint Dane marveled.

“I don’t know, I was born with it! Now, give me a compliment or I’m putting my clothes back on and leaving you here tied up,” he huffed.

Saint Dane lazily looked him up and down, drinking it all in. The thin legs, almost like a woman’s, and small waist. Shido was a man that could be described as “beautiful” but still make it seem manly. “You put my body to shame because yours is a natural beauty. Now come over here and let me smell the lilacs.”

“Wha-OH!” He had started to question what Saint Dane was talking about, but as soon as he took a step forward the Traveler lustily nestled his face directly into Shido’s groin, burying his nose among the light purple curls. Having sat up, Saint Dane threw his legs over the bed and sat on the edge of it, ducking to reach the slowly rising member within the curls.

“S-Saint Dane, ooohh,” Shido moaned and threaded his long fingers through the white hair before him. “Oh aahhh!” A mouth had started to lick and kiss it’s way down his hardening length and a rush of arousal made Shido’s eyes flutter close. He leaned forward more, practically curling around the bobbing head, and dug his nails into the scalp in an effort to not buck forward.

Saint Dane smiled as he sucked up and down Shido’s length, happy to once again find a way to be somewhat in control.  He wished he could bring his hands around to pull Shido closer, as well as grab onto that soft, round ass he had admired for a moment. Instead he hummed, he licked, and ducked even further to lavish attention on Shido’s balls. Instead of the usual smell of musk, any normal human smell was pleasantly absent, and all was dry and clean. The skin he nuzzled was still cooler than a normal human’s but it was a refreshing feeling upon his own, quickly warming, skin. Saint Dane took note to sleep with more vampires, enjoying the lack of the usual human messiness.

He felt Shido start to pull away, and he let go of the cock in his mouth with a lewd pop. The taste that was left on his tongue had the slight penny-flavor of blood, which would have alarmed him had he just sucked off a human, but he supposed that was yet another perfectly normal, blood-tainted bodily fluid for a vampire.

“Something not to your liking, Purplevamp?” Saint Dane teased as he leaned back and admired the panting vampire above him. A weak flush colored Shido’s cheeks, neck and chest.

Shido shook his head, sending purple strands flying, “N-not at all. That was a-amazing! I just don’t think I’ll last very long with..that _mouth_ of yours.”

“Hmm, so my mouth finally does something right,” he smirked, laying back down. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind returning the favor...” Saint Dane lifted and wriggled his hips.

Shido grinned, his fanged smile returning once more as he practically pounced upon the man on the bed. He traced a finger slowly down the hills and valleys of the muscles in Saint Dane’s chest and abdomen, “Would you mind if I stop to snack here and there?”

“Snack, feast, whatever size the meal, I want you to make it hurt. Penetrate me with those fucking amazing fangs and devour me,” Saint Dane rasped, turned on more than he had ever been in his life.

Shido lunged up from his spot and crashed their lips together, immediately sucking the Traveler’s tongue into his mouth and biting into it just enough to draw blood, the two of them both enjoying the coppery taste as it coated their mouths.

Saint Dane moaned and opened his mouth more, giving the vampire as much access as he could. Shido sucked, but quickly changed tactics by raking his nails down the chest beneath him. For the first time, he heard Saint Dane lose his cool composure with a loud groan, and he relished the sound and sense of power it gave him. This position of control was certainly intoxicating.

Slipping down, Shido lapped at the drying blood that had dripped down his neck, across a straining tendon, between prominent collarbones, and down to the blood welling up from the long claw marks across his chest. Saint Dane’s heartbeat pumped loudly, working hard to keep up with his hardening arousal, the loss of blood, and the crimson streaks of pain.

The marks on the chest almost licked clean, Shido turned his attention to one of the pierced nipples before him. He covered the dark nipple entirely with his mouth, sucking first, drawing the blood to the surface as it broke through tiny blood vessels, and then he slowly sank his fangs around it.

“Great Halla Shido, aaahhh, oh gods, don’t stop!” He moaned loudly, arching his back up closer to that wicked mouth.

The thoughts they shared through the blood were very sparse, but the underlying emotion was the same: need and lust and desire. The rest of the world had fallen away as their attention narrowed to the pleasure that stirred within their connected hearts and minds.

Shido kissed the nipple as he finished up and eagerly moved down further, following the trail of white hair that led him over prominent abs, dipping down into the well of a bellybutton, and stopping at the locked gates of slacks and a belt. A very strained pair of slacks, Shido noted.

Without wasting a moment he slithered the belt out and impressively shucked the pants right off, leaving just a pair of briefs between them. With a lick to his lips, Shido wriggled them down, stopping as soon as the large, red member sprang free.

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck did you do to yourself?!” The shock in Shido’s voice brought Saint Dane out of his lusty stupor and he looked down. The vampire was staring incredulously at the piercings that glinted up and down the cock before him.

Saint Dane chuckled, making his erection bob. “Do you like it?”

Shido gulped, “Didn’t that hurt?”

“That’s the point, well, for me it was. Quite a different pain, having your genitals pierced. It doesn’t hurt anymore, now it’s just pleasurable.” Saint Dane lowered his voice to a rumbling purr, “I hear it’s _most_ pleasurable when the bumps of the piercings are massaging you from the _inside_.”

His eyes closed halfway as a cool finger gingerly ran from the base, over the Jacob’s Ladder rungs of piercings along the underside, and up to the Prince Albert at the top. “You humans certainly do some really _fucked up_ stuff to your bodies these days,” Shido murmured, still unable to think of how much something like that would hurt. Tearing his gaze away from it he frowned, thinking back to something Saint Dane had said. “Wait, who says _I’m_ the one being penetrated tonight? Last I checked _you’re_ the one tied up and underneath _me_!” He scoffed, but teasingly started to stroke at the member in front of his face.

“Mmmmm, then I suppose you brought your own condoms and lube? Mine might be a little too big for you.”

“No…” Shido grumbled.

“Well then, I guess you better bring over the ones I have in my pocket.” Saint Dane closed his eyes, cracking one open to glance down at the vampire who still lingered between his legs.

“And I was having so much fun being the dominant one for once…” Shido grumbled as he stood up and went to rummage around inside the slacks he had thrown to the ground.

Saint Dane used this moment to kick free from his briefs. “You can still be dominant and in control, even with a cock inside you. If I remember correctly, your profile described you as a ‘power bottom’.”  
“And if you’ll remember correctly, it was Guni who wrote that profile, not me,” Shido chided as he returned with a condom and a small packet of lubrication.

“It sounds like Guni knows you better than you know yourself.”

Shido’s mouth twitched, “Guni spends her time reading erotic urban fiction. Her little brain is full of smut.”

“Okay power bottom, let’s do something a little different and fun. I want you to come here and straddle me on your hands and knees, your rear facing me, and your head right over my groin… yes, perfect.” Saint Dane again strained against his binding, forgetting it was there, trying to bring that pale, perfect ass closer. A few more wiggles and positionings and the two men were able to access each other with mouths and tongues.

Saint Dane leaned forward and immediately began to lick into the crease of the ass in front of him, circling the small, puckered hole there. “Spread your legs wider,” he commanded, immediately gaining better access.

Shido, meanwhile, groaned and absentmindedly licked along Saint Dane’s cock, paying more attention to the tongue that was wriggling around and inside him. A bucking of the hips beneath him was a reminder to keep up his end of the 69 and so he swallowed down the large member in one, swift bob of the head. He felt the cold metal of the tip piercing at the back of his throat as he continued to suck, swallow, and bob. Not having to breathe had its advantages.

Now it was Saint Dane’s turn to let up on his attentions as his head swam from the most mind-boggling deep throating he had ever had. He sincerely wished he could see Shido’s face right now, just to witness those perfect lips stretched wide around him and his throat bulging as he slid it in and out. That thought alone almost made him cum.

“Okay, okay, anymore and I’m going t-to cum. Uuhhnnnn, why did it take me this long to think of sleeping with a vampire?” Saint Dane bemoaned, and licked a hard stripe up Shido’s ass. “I need you to prepare this hot piece of ass so that it’s ready to take me all the way in. You’ve got me tied up, so it’s up to you to do it. I’m just going to lay back and enjoy the show.”

Shido let go of the leaking member to reach for the lube packet on the bed. Doing his best to not dribble on the sheets, although they were already speckled with blood and pre-come, he ripped open a corner with a fang and squeezed a good amount onto his fingers.

Saint Dane watched as Shido reached around and easily slid one digit in, proud that his tongue had helped somewhat, but the vampire still had more to go before he was stretched enough. Two fingers were now sliding in, scissoring and slowly pulling themselves in and out. Three digits, and what had started as a small hole was now easily accepting all three fingers with slight sucking sounds. Shido was gasping for breath he didn’t need and rested his head down on Saint Dane’s legs, raising his behind up in the air. He whined as he added a fourth and final finger, bucking harshly up and down on them.

Saint Dane almost wanted to watch the vampire come using his own fingers, he was impressed with how much the man was accommodating, and said so.

“Y-you forget hah-how long...I’ve been, aahhhhmmmm, si-single… Have t-to do it m-muh-myself.” came Shido’s stuttered reply, and he pulled out his fingers with a high whine at the loss.

Saint Dane heard the rustle of a wrapper and hissed at the feel of cool latex that was rolled down his sensitive and straining member. Slender hands stroked and rubbed what he assumed was the rest of the lube.

Then a sharp, hot sear of pain lanced up from his inner leg, making Saint Dane shout. His exclamation stuttered into moans as Shido began to suck gingerly at the bite he had made over the artery, making sure to hold the bucking hips down. Saint Dane rolled his head from side to side, trying hard not to cum from the hot pain inside his leg and the contrasting cool hand that still gingerly stroked his erection.

With a final lick, Shido gracefully changed his position to face Saint Dane once more. Blood was smeared on his smirking mouth and he leaned up to capture Saint Dane's lips for a kiss. It seemed that the Traveler enjoyed tasting his own blood on the vampire's lips, so he did his best to paint the lingering taste thoroughly inside their mouths.

Simultaneously, he had one hand on Saint Dane's chest for balance and the other between them, holding still and aligning his body with the other man's prepared cock.

Shido straightened up from the kiss and, with remarkable restraint, hovered with the tip of Saint Dane's penis just at his entrance. He looked down at the panting, messy, straining creature he would have sworn was not the composed, cocky man he had sat with at the bar.

Saint Dane opened his eyes at the delay and looked up. The vampire was smirking cockily at him, steady as a rock while balancing just on the precipice of penetration. He arched an eyebrow, “Do you wish for me to release your hands for this?”

Saint Dane nodded with a hiss, the thought of freedom, to be able to grab Shido by his shoulders and slam him down on his cock at his own pace, seemed to be just what he needed. Shido's grin widened, showing off a startling amount of teeth. “Then you'll have to beg for it,” he said and slowly--so incredibly slowly only something inhuman could maintain that speed-- lowered himself down.

Saint Dane tried to buck up, desperate to thrust into, if not a hot body, at least a tight and gripping one, but the hand on his chest kept him immobile. A distant part of his brain, a small bit that wasn't being blown by the man on top of him, marveled at the hidden strength Shido had at his disposal.

He still wasn't entirely encased within Shido, even after what felt like too many agonizing minutes, and Saint Dane was mortified when a high pitched whine worked it's way out of his throat. Shido stopped, “I'm s-sorry, did you say something? Is this too fast for you?”

“Sh-Shido, f-for the love oh-of,” Saint Dane growled, “ _Just start moving already!”_

“That didn't sound like… begging,” panted Shido.

He swore Saint Dane's eyes were glowing, the blue becoming so pale it was nearly white. They narrowed, but he was clearly desperate to move, and he huskily moaned out from behind clenched teeth, “ _Shido, PLEASE.”_

Shido dropped the rest of the distance, hissing from the burn as he was painfully stretched so suddenly, and the hand on Saint Dane's chest clenched, creating another trail of bloody scratches.

Saint Dane groaned in relief, but was still unable to move or thrust, even though it seemed Shido was barely holding him down with his clenched hand. He lay there as Shido adjusted, and focused on the feeling of the tight (and actually quite warm) grip around his penis.

He tried again to move his hips and found that the hand on his chest had let up a bit, giving him a small amount of control. Shido joined in after a few seconds and matched the rhythm Saint Dane had begun to set.

“Ah, hah, you… weren't l-luh-lying about-hah-those piercings,” Shido panted and shifted his hips for a better angle. The ridges of the piercings bumped and rubbed a pleasurable massage inside him; he was enjoying this new sensation. He was hoping the piercing on the tip, a small ring, would find his prostate.

Saint Dane knew immediately when it had, as the vampire's eyes scrunched shut and his mouth opened wide, his whole body clenching so hard that no sound came out. When he was finally able to move, he brought his hips up and slammed down again on the same spot, this time letting out a loud “AAaahh!!”. With both hands now being used for balance, Shido bounced in the Traveler's lap, moaning out exclamations with each hit to his sensitive prostate.

Saint Dane did his best to keep up, feeling like his back was going to snap from the awkward arch of thrusting up into Shido, as well as trying to pump in and out at the pace his body demanded. Their small room was starting to become loud with a cacophony of noises from their lovemaking. Everything grew in volume as the pace increased until Shido came first, wailing and spurting over their stomachs.

The shivers and sporadic clenching around his cock soon pushed Saint Dane over the edge as well, and he groaned and tensed, biting on his tongue to stop from moaning out the vampire's name. Shocks ran through him as he climaxed; he couldn't remember the last time he had orgasmed so hard he saw stars.

His fuzzy brain began to clear up, and he realized he was able to move his hands, but there was a sticky wet spot under his back. He brought his hands around, cringing at the cramps in his shoulders, and noticed blood all over them.

“Don't worry, I just released my hold on the rope; it turned back into blood,” Shido murmured from Saint Dane's chest, and reached up to take a wrist in his hand, bringing it to his face, and began licking it. “Waste not want not, eh?”

“We'll be here all night if you plan to clean me off with your tongue,” rumbled Saint Dane, and he turned his head to look at the clock. “We have about 45 minutes.”

“I better get to licking, then.”

Neither of them wanted to get up, and they lay there, Shido curled around Saint Dane's chest, and fluids drying between them as they reveled in their post-orgasmic high.

Shido was the first to recover, feeling better than he had in a long time. His body almost felt alive from the blood he had drunk, Saint Dane’s strangely energized blood buzzed like a caffeine high through his system. It made him feel warm and cozy all the way down to the tips of his toes. He stood up and walked over to the nightstand, picking up the remaining bottle of water, and opened it.

“Here, drink this,” he offered it to Saint Dane who stiffly raised an arm to accept it. While the Traveler was rehydrating himself, Shido went into the little bathroom to run a bath. He heard large feet patter into the adjoining room with the toilet as Saint Dane relieved himself of the condom and his bladder, then came to join Shido in the room with the bath.

“I don’t think I’m going to fit in that tub,” he said as he stood in the doorway and eyed the usual-sized Japanese soaking tub. He sat down on the small stool near the shower head beside the tub and switched the water over to the shower nozzle.

“Hey! Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to take a bath!” Shido snatched the shower nozzle away from him, and the two playfully tussled around, spraying each other. In the end, they somehow managed to get somewhat clean, but Shido’s bath was left forgotten.

Shido guiltily massaged Saint Dane’s sore shoulders with soapy hands, standing over him as the other sat on the shower stool; he noticed red welts around his wrists from the bindings. “Sorry, about that,” he muttered.

Saint Dane noticed the direction of his gaze and held up his hands, then rubbed his wrists. “That’s okay, that’ll heal in no time. Besides, marks like this are signs you had a good time with your Kinky Meetup.” He grinned up at Shido.

“Same goes with bites and claw marks all over you?”

The traveler looked down at his chest, “That’s a sign you had a good time, and your Kinky Meetup was either a Klee or a vampire.”

“What’s a Klee?” Shido asked.

“A cat-like humanoid on the Territory called Eelong.” As he chuckled to himself, Shido frowned because that evil gleam was back in his eye, so he sprayed the man in the face with the water.

“Hey, stop the villain laugh,” he said to the sputtering man and yelped when he was grabbed around the waist and picked up.

“Well this villain is going to steal you away and show you all the Territories,” he said, hoisting Shido over a shoulder.  The vampire laughed, despite himself, and pounded his fists on the man’s back.

“What would Guni say if I ran away with a handsome villain?”

Saint Dane grinned, “What would Pendragon say if I showed up with a vampire?” They both laughed at the thought of their worlds colliding and their respective people’s reactions.

Saint Dane gently put Shido back down, sitting him on the shower stool, now. He sat there complacently as his hair was washed and lathered for him. It felt pretty nice, actually, and he closed his eyes, and the two were quiet for a moment.

He heard Saint Dane turn the water off and felt a soft towel press to his cheek; he took it gratefully and dried off.

As he approached the vanity, Saint Dane began to blow dry his hair, the white locks reaching down past his shoulders. Shido knew it would take a while for his own hair to dry, so he hunted around the bedroom floor for his elastic, finger-combing his hair to one side, and began to braid it. He luckily found the hair band in time to tie off the braid at the end.

Shido sat on the edge of the bed and slowly got dressed. He was thinking back on the night he had, this man he had met. Who was he really outside of this encounter? Why did the thought of him leaving in a few days bother him so much? He frowned as he slid his boxers back on. Should they keep it just like this? No learning of their lives outside this hotel room, just two men that needed sexual gratification, and once they parted it would be as if they had never met.

 _People meet and people part, isn't that what I always say?_ Shido thought, but he didn't want to continue on as usual and pretend like this night had never happened; but the fantasy would end as soon as they left. They'd go back to their normal lives, and Shido would have to go right back to trying to find a donor, one that would be close at hand and not traveling to other worlds.

“You like to lose yourself in your thoughts, don’t you?” Came Saint Dane’s voice, and Shido realized he had been sitting there for a while, midway through putting on a sock.

Saint Dane was shrugging into his shirt and had apparently found bandaids, as there were several of them over his chest and neck. Shido finished putting on his socks and watched as Saint Dane got dressed.

He shrugged, “Yeah, being with your own thoughts for a long time can do that to you.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Shido cocked his head, “Just how old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Travelers don’t really have an age, we just… exist. I can be on one territory for years, and then go back to another one and it’s like I’d only just left. We just show up where we need to be.”

“And did you _want_ or did you _need_ to be here?” Shido asked quietly.

“Well, I thought it was the former, but it’s starting to look like the latter,” Saint Dane murmured. They both looked at each other, and Shido realized that Saint Dane might have possibly been having the same thoughts.

An alarm started to go off, and they both jumped, Saint Dane quickly pulling his phone from his pocket to silence it. “Our three hours is almost up. We better head out now so we don’t have to pay for overtime.”

Shido took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hearing Saint Dane chuckle.

“Do you really need to do that?”

“What?”

“Sigh like that? You don’t really breathe though, right?”

Shido lifted a shoulder, “I don’t have to breathe, but I like to. Anything I can do to hold on to what it was like to be human.”

Saint Dane gave a small frown, “And here I am doing all that I can to remove human weakness from myself. We’re quite the opposite in that respect.”

“Why? What’s wrong with wanting to be human? Sometimes I think they’re stronger than immortals simply because they know the weakness of their own mortality, and yet they continue to live each day fearlessly. There’s an innocence in human mortality that is slowly forgotten once one becomes immortal. I don’t want to become that.” Shido rubbed an arm, “If I do, then I’m no better than the nightbreeds I hunt.”

“Hmph,” grunted Saint Dane, “I must be growing soft.” Shido looked at him puzzled. “In a past life I would have vehemently disagreed with you and then gone and found some way to prove your theories wrong. But-” Saint Dane continued quickly, as Shido had opened his mouth to argue with brows furrowed in anger, “-but, I’ve already lived through that life and I know where it gets me. Your ideals were shared by my nemesis, and it’s killing me to hear them come out of your mouth too.” He put an arm to Shido’s elbow to make him stand up, and then pulled him close, bringing their faces together. Saint Dane closed his eyes, “You’ve lived for a long time and--unlike that Traveler who is still wet behind his ears, even after defeating me--you have lived to see the worst of humanity and the worst of yourself, and you still cling to your hope in humans.”

They stood like that for a moment, then Saint Dane opened his eyes, blue met green as they flashed in understanding. “Oh,” Shido whispered, “So you’re not just a villain, you’ve already been defeated. Your world’s already been turned upside down and this is you crawling back up out of your grave.” He pulled Saint Dane into a hug, “Don’t go back to a life that has people wanting to kill you.”

Locked in the embrace, Saint Dane remained silent. When they parted his face was blank, but Shido recognized the signs of a mind at war with itself as it churned over a million thoughts.

“Come on, we can talk things over outside. I’ll get us a taxi.” Shido pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a local taxi company as they both walked out, hitting a button on a panel by the door to signify they were checking out, and it locked behind them. After a brief confirmation of their location, Shido hung up, “Alright, a taxi should be here in a couple of minutes. Let’s go wait outside.”

 


	3. A promise

Saint Dane took in a breath of the outside air. It was past 3 a.m. and this small street was quiet as the morning chill began to set in. The cold air and the pre-dawn stillness seemed to wake Saint Dane from his stupor and he suddenly thought of something.

“Are you going to get home in time?” he asked, and Shido knew what he had meant.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Sunrise isn’t until 4:30, and the taxi can take me straight to the office.”

“So, what happens if you come in contact with sunlight?”

“I can fare well enough on an overcast day with a big coat and sunglasses, although I tend to look like the Invisible Man or a flasher,” Shido joked, and Saint Dane laughed at the image. “I get really bad burns though, if I come in direct contact, and more than a couple of minutes of that and I’d just disintegrate into ash.”

“Ouch.”

Their taxi arrived and they stepped back to let the doors open, Shido watched as Saint Dane gracefully folded himself in the back seat. After giving the driver the address to his office, Shido sat back in his own seat and the two gazed out the window at the passing buildings.

“You’re right, you know,” spoke up Saint Dane. Shido looked over, but he remained looking out the window rather than at the vampire. “I did just crawl from my grave, and I was about to crawl back into it. Everything I had worked for was undone by Pendragon, and I had been so close to achieving my goal of controlling all territories.”

“I’d laugh at the sheer banality of your mad overlord trope, if I wasn’t so convinced it was frighteningly real,” Shido interjected. “Why would you want the exhausting job of ruling over so much?”

“Because no one was realizing their world’s true potential, even with my help and guidance. So, I took it into my own hands to make my vision a reality.”

“You know what I did to the last person who had visions of grandeur and superiority?”

Saint Dane glanced over, “No, what?”

“I cut off his head and kicked him into a fire,” he said with eyes flashing, and turned toward the window. “Sadly it didn’t kill him.”

“Well, it took a group of Travelers, a large betrayal, and dying to stop me.”

“So you actually died?” asked Shido, surprised.

“Yes. At least my physical form was killed.”

“But you’re here, and you’re definitely in a physical body,” Shido observed, blushing a little.

“That’s because I was denied entrance to our afterlife, Solara, possibly because I was currently in the process of destroying it so that I could take it over.”

Shido sat there stunned for a little bit at this revelation, “Wait, you tried to destroy your own afterlife?!”

“I needed to take it over so that I could draw power from it, and with that power recreate the universe.”

“I don’t understand why you would risk your soul for such a horrible conquest,” Shido said, a little sadly.

Saint Dane shrugged, “I’m strong-willed and hard-headed with big goals. I don’t fear death, all it would cost me is my physical form. My spirit though, that’s a different case.” His face, which had been flushed with passion, suddenly dimmed, and his shoulders slumped, “But I never thought Solara would throw me out and back into a physical form. I’m alive again, but I’m basically human. I’ve returned to an Halla that has easily reverted to what it was before I set out to take over it. It’s like everything I did was easily forgotten. I was expecting--if not a homecoming to Solara--a blissful nothingness. That's better than being humiliated and forgotten. When I became aware that I was no longer dead, I found myself here on Second Earth. Younger-looking, but weak, and most of the power I had obtained from my takeover was depleted.” He finally lifted his eyes up to Shido, and his face was startlingly open, allowing him to see the sadness. “For a Traveler, I’m pretty lost as to where to go, or what to do.”

Shido hesitated in a response, trying to gauge at how honest this man was being. He knew that people rarely changed and he needed another crazy lover like he needed a stake in the heart. He started slowly, “You said a while ago that your lover had been your moral compass.”  

Saint Dane nodded.

“What would he want you to do with this second chance?”

“Something heart-bleedingly charitable, for the betterment of Halla and Solara, I’m sure.” Saint Dane grumbled, but he went back to looking out the window, “But I know what you’re getting at, and I had similar thoughts about the reason for my resurrection.”

“So what’s stopping you?”

He gave a frustrated sigh, “It’s not who I _am_!”

“It’s not who you _were_ ,” interrupted Shido. “You can be whoever you choose to be, but not everyone gets a second chance at life. It took the death of my daughter to make me realize the monster I had become, and I immediately set out to change my ways. I will never return to that life because it’s not who I want to be, no matter what Cain says or does to get me to return to it. I choose to be a protector, not a murderer, and I’ve enjoyed this life far more than my other one.”

Saint Dane stared at him, “I can't imagine you killing anyone.”

“But I did. It made Cain happy which made me happy, but I was living for another person's happiness, not my own.”

“I don’t think that’s a problem I have,” Saint Dane observed. “If anything, I need to learn to think about other people's happiness, and how the pursuit of my own may be...killing them.”

“That’s a disturbing self-reflection, but a tiny step in the right direction, I think,” Shido encouraged.

Saint Dane went back to gazing out the window, and the two silently looked away from each other, lost in their thoughts.

The Traveler knew he was going to have to make a choice, and soon, as they were getting closer to their destination. The way he saw it, he had two choices, and he already knew where one would lead him; he’d gone down that road before in his past life. Yet, knowing now what he didn’t know then, could he succeed in ruling all of Halla? He’d be starting all over again and would have to undo all the work the Travelers had spent keeping the territories separate and rebuilding their home worlds. They would also be wary, they knew his tricks now and he’d have to work twice as hard to stay two steps ahead of everyone. Also, he could kiss goodbye his chance of ever seeing Shido again, if he ever found out.

A loud rap to the plastic partition made Shido and the driver jump. The taxi driver narrowed his eyes into the rearview mirror to indicate his attention. “Do you mind stopping at the closest subway station to his stop? Just for a few minutes?”

“There is a waiting fee, is that okay?” The taxi driver informed him.

“I’m willing to pay for it,” he answered and sat back once again. Shido was giving him an odd look.

“Why are we stopping at the Higashi-Kanagawa station?” he asked.

“I am making a choice.”

“And that involves a subway station at 3:30 in the morning...why?”

Saint Dane smirked, “You’ll see.”

 

The taxi driver thankfully agreed to wait with no more questions asked after Saint Dane paid for him to wait there for 15 minutes. The station was always open, but the trains and cars wouldn’t start running until around 5 a.m. so it made for the perfect opportunity to hop over the subway gates and make their way to the empty platform. It was eerily quiet as no one was down there at this hour.

Saint Dane hopped down from the platform onto the subway tracks and held up his arms to help Shido down, who merely waved them away and quietly hopped down himself.

“You mind telling me why we’re down here?”

“No, but keep your eye out for a door, the less used the better,” he answered and began to walk the track towards the subway tunnels.

“What? Seriously?”

“Very seriously.”

Shido frowned but began to look around at the subway walls for doorways. He had a strange sense of deja-vu. “I had a case once where I had to track a man who had escaped from a hospital after being possessed by a night breed. He fled and hid in the subway tunnels.”

“Did you find him?” asked Saint Dane.

“Yeah, but unfortunately I had to kill him,” Shido said sadly while avoiding walking on the tracks.

Saint Dane perked up, “So you _do_ kill humans still!”

“Don’t sound so excited, it’s not like I suck them dry, and it’s a last resort when someone is so possessed that they’re more breed than human, anymore. I don’t enjoy it at all, especially this guy, he was leaving behind a pregnant wife.”

Saint Dane decided it would be best if he shut his mouth now and concentrate more on looking for a door, but Shido was the one to see it first. It was so perfect that he didn’t even known it was there until the vampire walked up and pointed to the doorknob. It was practically invisible. Another plus was when they opened it, after jiggling the rusty handle a bit, they walked in on a room that was thick with dust.

“Perfect! Okay, close the door and give me a moment.” Saint Dane ordered and Shido took a step back, watching as the Traveler closed his eyes and put a hand on the door. Nothing seemed to be happening, until there came a very, very faint sound of...chimes? A pleasant tinkling sound that was definitely getting louder, as if whatever it was was getting closer, and right when Shido swore the sound was right over their heads, there was a bright flash that pierced through the cracks around the door. Then all was silent.

Saint Dane was panting, all of his energy drained, and dropped his arm like it was made of stone, but was able to give Shido a cocky smirk. “Oh good… I haven’t...lost my touch,” he panted and opened the door.

They entered and Shido wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this. The room was no longer dusty, because it now contained a tunnel so deep he could see no end to it as it faded into pitch darkness. The tunnel looked to be carved from stone, but it didn’t seem to match the stone of the surrounding subway tunnels.

“What is this?” he asked, and ran a hand over the rough, cold rock. Saint Dane straightened up and put his hands on his hips, surveying the tunnel with a sense of pride.

“This is a flume.”

“What’s a flume?”

“It’s a portal I can create between worlds and use it to travel around,” explained the Traveler.

Shido stilled his explorations to look back in horror. “No, I thought you said they undid everything you had made.”

“They did, I used to have a flume in New York, but that’s collapsed and gone. But now I have a new purpose, and I need a new flume system if I’m to work on it.”

Shido sounded betrayed and gave a sad little moan, “Oh Saint Dane, why? You know how it’s all going to end!” His voice became bitter, “You’re throwing away your chance to reach Solara, and for what? So you can try and-”

“I didn’t say what that new purpose was, Shido.”

Shido stood still and expectantly waited.

Saint Dane paced around, unable to stand still to explain himself. “When I was on my mission to bring down all of Halla, I would arrive in a territory and try to determine what was its ‘turning point’, as we called it. This was a pivotal moment in a territory’s history that was wildly unbalanced and could easily be tipped towards the betterment of a territory’s future, or for its downfall. I’m sure you can guess which way I usually swung.

“Well, I believe just such a turning point has happened here on Second Earth.” Saint Dane’s pacing brought him looming in front of the vampire who looked bewildered and confused, and a little bit scared.

“What was it? What did you do?”

“Well, I believe it was when a Traveler was reborn here in this territory and made the decision to try and work towards the happiness of more than just his own, selfish needs.”

Silence. Shido didn’t dare breathe, not quite believing his ears.

“How does it feel to have the demon of Halla wrapped around your pretty little finger?” Saint Dane asked and nearly fell over as the vampire launched himself into his arms.

Shido wrapped his arms tightly about Saint Dane, and buried his face into his shirt. “Oh god, please tell me you’re being honest. I don’t think I can take it if you aren’t. I’m just so…” he didn’t know how to finish that sentence as his words were cut off from the crash of emotions he was feeling.

“I’m going to have to leave, but it should only be a week or so here. I have some… messes I should probably go and help clean up.” He squeezed his arms, returning the embrace, unfamiliar with the motion. “Upon my return, though, I do demand that my selfish needs be attended to, as the lack of chaos and bloodshed will have gone unsatisfied.”

The vampire pulled back a bit from the hug, “Is that your weird way of making a booty call?”

“Well, I guess I could just go back to KinkyMeetups and look for someone else when I return, but I would prefer it be with this vampire that was looking for a kindly blood donor.” Saint Dane teased and brought Shido’s face up for a kiss, and sighed when the other nibbled on his lip.

They parted and Shido gazed up, unable to stop smiling. “Should I get down on one knee and propose?” He added a mocking lilt to his voice, “Saint Dane will you be my blood donor and sex partner?”

“You can get down on one knee but I can think of better things you can do while down there,” he said with a small grind, “But yes, I will be your blood donor and most gladly be your sex partner, and even more if you want me to be.” Saint Dane’s eyes widened as he thought of something, and he took a moment to step back and rummage through his pockets, finally locating the small item he was looking for, and actually did go down on one knee. Shido nearly had a heart attack as the objects Saint Dane held up were two, glowing rings. He laughed at the panicked look on the vampire’s face, “Don’t worry, it’s not _that_ kind of proposal, but with these rings we can communicate. Cell phones won’t work on other territories.” As he slipped it onto Shido’s finger, it gently shrunk to fit the slender, pale finger. Shido rubbed his thumb against it, surprised it wasn’t made of metal but… stone maybe?

Saint Dane slipped the other one onto his own finger, taking the ringed hand of the man before him, and looking up. “What I’m proposing is that you would be my Acolyte, my guide and moral compass here on Second Earth. If you need me, just use this ring in the flume here, and I’ll hear you and come back. If I need you, I can send things through this ring. I’m going to have to depend on you since this whole ‘good guy’ thing is pretty foreign to me.”

“I will do my best to keep you in line as well as I can from here, but if the sun goes dark and I find our world is plunging into chaos, I know who to come after,” Shido replied and tugged him back up onto his feet.

“Then you can cut off my head and throw me into a fire, since apparently that’s how you deal with crazy boyfriends.”

“Damn straight!” Shido agreed with one more lingering kiss.

Saint Dane gently pushed him back, “You better go, the cab is probably about to leave, and if I’m going to do this, I have to leave now.”

“Wait! What’s your phone number? You’ve got my business card, but what if I want to contact you while you’re on Second Earth?”

Saint Dane reached into Shido’s pocket and pulled out the cell phone, smirking at the tiny cell charm that dangled from it, and began adding himself into the contacts. “Shido, you don’t even have a lock screen. Also, it looks like Guni and a few others have tried to call you. And you only have 4 other contacts? Boy, you need to get out more.”

“I think I’m set after the night I just had.”

“Here, I’ve added my number.” He handed Shido’s cell phone back to him.

Shido clutched it and looked up, “Thank you Saint Dane for… so much.” His voice choked off from emotion.

“And I'm sure all of Halla thanks _you_ for taking on the task of taming it's infamous bad boy. Only you can punish him so sweetly,” he said with a wink. “I look forward to returning to you… and your bed.”

“Actually, it's a coffin,” Shido blushed.

“Kinky.” Saint Dane smiled and began to walk into the flume tunnel. “Cloral!” Shido heard him yell, and then those musical plinks and a gentle light began to travel toward them from deep in the tunnel. The vampire backed away until he was against the door and shut his eyes when the light became too bright, and just like before, it all vanished in a second, along with Saint Dane.

He stood there for a long moment, blinking, trying to wrap his mind around the whole night. It was so insane it almost felt like a dream, but his thumb twirled the little, glowing ring that testified the reality of the Traveler with a change of heart.

 

Shido tapped his IC card to the taxi’s payment panel and heaved himself from out of the back seat, thanking the driver and apologizing again for making him wait. His office, an unassuming building among apartments and other small, similar buildings, was as dark and quiet as the rest of the neighborhood. The only sounds came from the whine of boat engines in the nearby bay.

He cracked his neck and unlocked the door, thankful to have made it on time. He was exhausted and the sky was starting to turn peach with the pending sunrise. His office should have been nice and dark, but the lights were on and it was full of women.

He paused, startled at seeing Yayoi, Riho and Guni waiting in the small living room, coffee cups in front of them, but they all turned toward him as he entered.

Riho leapt up and ran to him, “Mr. Shido!! Oh, we were so worried about you!” She threw her arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze.

Guni fluttered about his head, “We called you like a million times!! You know how to answer your cell phone, right?!”

Shido nodded dumbly.

Only Yayoi remained perched calmly on the couch, sipping her coffee. “You look good, Shido,” she commented.

Riho leapt back and clapped her hands in delight, “Yes! I love the new outfit!”

“You look like a dumb hipster,” was Guni’s contribution.

Yayoi shook her head, “No, I mean health-wise. Your skin looks good. I take it Guni's matchmaking skills were actually successful?”

Before Shido could reply Guni agave a boastful laugh, “Ha ha! Of _course_ I was successful. I _am_ an urban luck fairy after all!” She grinned lecherously, “I knew he was okay since his last texts to me certainly suggested he was getting a little somethin’ somethin’!”

Yayoi sighed, “I'll miss the thrill, but I certainly won't miss the dizzy spells and the nausea. Do we get to meet this new blood donor?”

Shido again opened his mouth to reply but a squeal from Riho interrupted before he could get a syllable out. “Oh my God, look at his right hand!!” She snatched it up before Shido could even try to jam it in a pocket, and held it up so the others could see the reason for her excitement.

“Damn Shido, moving a little fast there?” Guni said in surprise. Even Yayoi looked shocked, but Riho had stars in her eyes.

“How romantic!” She sighed.

Shido snatched his hand back and held them both up, finally able to speak. “Girls! Calm down! It's not an engagement ring!”

“Yeah, but who gives a man a ring on the first date?” Guni scoffed.

“It's a way to contact him he's…not entirely human.” _That_ made the women in the room silent, for a long pause, until all hell broke loose.

Yayoi had launched from her seat and drew out her gun, “You slept with a _demon_?!”

“Shido! Don't tell me he was a night breed!” Guni was screeching.

Riho merely looked downcast, “It wasn't another vampire, was it?”

“Sit down!” Shido roared and the squabbling stopped. “No, he is not a demon, not a night breed, not a vampire. He calls himself a Traveler and can travel to different worlds and times.”

The silence continued as everyone just looked confused. Guni was the first to recover. “You fucked Doctor Who?!”

Shido sighed and put a hand to his head, “Sure Guni, rather than try to explain it because I don't fully understand it, yes, I fucked Doctor Who.”

“Is he nice?” Riho asked.

Shido looked down at her and smiled, “He's working on it. He was a perfect gentleman to me though.”

Yayoi reholstered her gun and drained the rest of her coffee. “Well, if he hurts you, we'll tear him a new one. In the meantime, I hope he's a good donor for you.” She put her coffee cup in the sink and picked up her keys. “Let's let lover boy get some sleep. Come on Riho, I'll take you back home before I clock in at the precinct.”

Riho gave Shido one more hug, whispering, “I'm so happy for you, he smells really good!” Her eyes flickered to a small, dried spot of blood on Shido’s shirt collar, and then she stepped back to put on her coat and sunglasses.

The two women left, leaving the office once more to just Guni and Shido.

“So, is he as kinky as his profile says?” Guni inquired while Shido shucked off his clothing to prepare for sleep.

“I don't know Guni, you didn't really show me his profile before throwing me into that date.” He slipped off his socks and sweater while Guni hovered.

“Will he be good for you?”

Shido sat on the edge of his coffin and considered, “I think it's more the other way around but, yes, I think we can be very good for each other.”

Guni smiled, “Good.” She flew to the door and slowly closed it. “Sweet dreams then.”

“Thanks Guni,” Shido replied and lay down, “For everything.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Edit 6/16/17 When I wrote this, it had been 8 years since I had read the final book in the Pendragon series. I seemed to have forgotten a lot of little details. And a big one. Like, the whole thing about Bobby growing old. Opps. Ha ha, so if you read this pre-edit (which isn't many people, but that's okay, this is more for me than anyone else), I made a few small changes so that I could be correct in what I write for the next part in this crazy ship. Okay that's it for now!


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